Chapter 16   Tearing Down Autonomy: The Takeover’s New Creed[101]

Historically, Baptists have vehemently avoided adopting creeds. According to W.R. Estep’s The Anabaptist Story, “the primacy of Scripture in Anabaptist life discouraged the formulation of creeds . . .” (126). Leaders like Menno Simons avoided “any phraseology even slightly resembling a creed. He feared a creed might take precedence over the Bible or become in time a test of faith among the Brethren” (129).

Now the Southern Baptist Convention has changed course and is embracing what Bill Bruster has called a “creeping creedalism.” The 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message has become a defacto creed, used by the current SBC leadership to exert control and undermine local church autonomy.

Even a cursory examination makes it clear that the revised Baptist Faith and Message seeks to “tighten up” the theological bindings around the hearts and lives of the Southern Baptist faithful. That’s evident from two changes made in the statement: (1) a de-emphasis on the doctrine of soul competency and (2) a heightened emphasis on “doctrinal accountability.”

The 1963 preamble includes these important words: “Baptists emphasize the soul’s competency before God, freedom in religion, and the priesthood of the believer.” In contrast, the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message as originally proposed by the SBC review committee didn’t even mention “soul competency” or “priesthood of the believer.” After extensive criticism in the weeks prior to the convention, the committee acquiesced, reinserting these hallowed Baptist phrases prior to the vote by SBC messengers. But, even as they did, they subtly de-emphasized them. Instead of the saying that Baptists “cherish” these principles (as the 1963 statement says), the preamble goes only so far as to say Baptists “honor” them. More importantly, the preamble calls for believers’ “accountability to each other under the Word of God.”

This is more than a semantic change. Alarmingly, the very doctrine that E. Y. Mullins called Baptists’ “distinctive contribution to the religious life and thought of mankind” has been altered in the document that supposedly defines the theology of Southern Baptists.

Why this de-emphasis on “soul competency” and “priesthood of the believer”? A glance at recent history suggests one answer: those currently in power in the SBC are deliberately attacking this basic principle of Baptists in order to increase the authority of the pastor and the national denomination.

Consider these recent developments:

• In an analysis of Mullins’ writings published by Broadman and Holman in 1997, Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary and one of the architects of the revised Baptist Faith and Message, described soul competency as “an acid dissolving religious authority, congregationalism, confessionalism and mutual theological accountability.”

• At the 1988 meeting of the SBC, messengers passed a resolution on pastoral authority that claimed that the doctrine of the priesthood of the believer was a relatively “recent” development in Baptist life, and that “the pastor is the ruler of the church.”

• Now, the Baptist Faith and Message de-emphasizes this historic doctrine in favor of a doctrine of accountability.

The new statement now includes words that effectively call for it to function as a creed.  And recent history suggests the Baptist Faith and Message may be used to “disfellowship” or exclude church members from local congregations or churches from associations, state conventions, or national SBC participation.

For example:

• Florida . At their 2004 convention, Florida Baptists amended their bylaws to exert more control over local churches by expelling congregations not adhering to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message or “other declaration of faith which parallels the tenets of our historic Baptist faith.” The bylaw amendment is specifically aimed at churches or associations whose “theology, faith, practice or polity” is deemed to be “questionable.” [102]

• Michigan . Michigan Baptists affirmed the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message in a 2003 resolution stating “all individuals or churches receiving assistance must approve the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention.” In 2004, the convention added this language to their constitution. [103]

• International Mission Board. IMB policy requires employees to sign the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message document. Scores of experienced, faithful missionaries have been fired or forced to resign from IMB service because of their refusal to sign. [104]

According to church historian Bill Leonard, dean of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University , no one should be surprised by the tightening standards. "Baptist organizations have every right to shape their policies as they choose,” he said. The surprising factor, Leonard believes, is that dissenting Baptists have put up with the restrictive changes for so long without leaving the SBC.

While the SBC leadership has used the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message to exclude dissenting individuals and churches, other theological shifts in the document have raised deep concern for many.

Elevation of the Bible over Jesus. Tony Cartledge, editor of the Biblical Recorder, the state Baptist paper of North Carolina , said: “The changes put into writing a shift from the Living Word to the written word as the Christian’s supreme authority, diminishing the role of a believer’s personal experience with Christ as a guide for faith and practice. Christ is no longer seen as the pinnacle of God’s self-revelation, but as the focus of God’s written revelation.” For a Baptist, any document that elevates anything — even the Bible —above Jesus should be a matter of deep concern.

Persons are not saved simply because they have read a Bible. They are redeemed only by a personal relationship with a Living Lord. After all, what about early believers who trusted Jesus before the Bible as we have it came into existence? Or those believers in earlier centuries who trusted Christ in an age when only priests had Bibles? And what about those today (in cultures other than American) who might hear of Jesus but who have never seen or heard of a Bible?

Restriction of Women. The writers of the revised Baptist Faith and Message exclude women from the possibility of serving as pastors: “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of the pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

The Bible, however, displays an internal tension over the issue of women in ministry. A biblical case can be made on both sides. For example, in I Corinthians 11: 5, the Apostle Paul speaks of prophesying. He encourages men to prophesy (preach) with their heads uncovered and women to prophesy (preach) with their heads covered. In Romans 16:2, Paul recognizes the position of authority given to a woman. It’s true that these passages don’t necessarily refer to the pastoral office. But these and other scriptures can be used to make an important point: The Bible leaves room for interpretation here, so also should we.

Ironically, on the same day that the SBC committee published its proposed revisions to the Baptist Faith and Message, USA Today carried an article about Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of the famous Southern Baptist evangelist Billy Graham. In that article, Graham called her the “best preacher in the family.” [105]  

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